


Last of the Red Hot Mamas

by Longpig



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Mother-Son Relationship, Reunions, Team as Family, background lotura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-07
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-19 14:30:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14239299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Longpig/pseuds/Longpig
Summary: Now that Keith's finally found his mother, it's time to introduce her to the rest of the family... But is she getting along a littletoowell with one of them?





	Last of the Red Hot Mamas

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lunarium](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunarium/gifts).



> Just a little slice of life; takes place following Season 5.

Almost a movement after extracting her from Ranveig’s base, Keith was still reeling from the revelation that Krolia was his mother. Getting to know her was helping him to understand so many things that hadn’t made sense to him growing up—pieces of the puzzle that even the Blades of Marmora hadn’t been able to supply. There was still so much to unpack but… He had a  _ mom. _ Whatever had happened; she  _ had _ wanted him. She hadn’t forgotten about him. The rest of it, well—Keith was determined they could work it out. More than anything, he wanted to have some kind of relationship with her, to make up for lost time. Part of that, he figured, was introducing her to his friends. Kolivan had told him that the Paladins were returning to Olkarion after some big mission with Lotor; and, in an uncharacteristic show of indulgence, had granted both Keith and Krolia a couple of quintents’ leave.

It wasn’t until he was standing outside the castleship lounge that he started to have second thoughts. They’d all been so disappointed when he left. What if they didn’t want him around anymore? He wasn’t even a Paladin anymore, not really. He wasn’t one of them… He frowned, his hand hovering over the door controls.

“Keith?” Krolia’s voice snapped him out of his funk. “Is the door not functioning properly?”

He shook his head to try and clear the intrusive thoughts.  _ Don’t be dumb, _ he chided himself.  _ They’re still your friends. Even Lance. _ “No… it’s fine.” He smiled back over his shoulder at her. “I think they’re really gonna like you.”

Hunk was the first to notice when they walked in, looking up with a stunned expression that quickly turned into a grin so warm it instantly melted all of Keith’s reservations. “Keith! Oh my gosh! You’re back!” He jumped up from his seat, nearly spilling the bowl of food goo he’d been eating.

Pidge, who’d had her back to the door, threw her arm over the back of the couch and smiled. “Hey Keith… Who’s your friend?” She adjusted her glasses as she looked up at Krolia.

Keith took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever their reactions might be. “Guys this is… my mother. She was working for the Blade of Marmora on Ranveig’s base.”

“Your mother?” Pidge’s jaw dropped.

“Oh wow, man,” Hunk’s eyes were wide as saucers. “I mean, that’s so great! And uh, it’s nice to meet you, um… Mrs., uh... Keith…” He stuck a hand out towards Krolia with an awkward, but friendly smile, rubbing the back of his neck with the other.

“It’s Krolia,” she huffed, with what Keith had learned to recognize as mild amusement, and clasped Hunk by the elbow, his meaty forearm almost disappearing in her hand.

Pidge sauntered over, smirking at her friend’s difficulty. “I’m Pidge. And this smooth talker is Hunk.”

“It is nice to meet you as well,” offered Krolia, only a little stiffly.

“Where’s everyone else?” Keith wondered, glancing around hopefully. Hunk and Pidge’s warm reception had given him a boost in confidence—he knew he shouldn’t have doubted them—and he realized just how much he was looking forward to seeing everyone again.

“Probably on their way down here,” Pidge tossed off with a nonchalant shrug, “since I just messaged the group chat.” She waved her personal comm at them, grinning smugly. Sure enough, just a few moments later, the door on the other side of the room opened to admit Lance, Shiro, Allura and Coran.

“Keith! Our prodigal paladin returns!” Coran announced, spreading his arms wide in a theatrical flourish at which Keith couldn’t help but smile.

“I never thought I’d be so glad to see that mullet again—not that I missed you, of course,” Lance quickly amended, flapping a dismissive hand in the air.

“For someone who didn’t miss him you sure got here fast,” quipped Hunk.

“Pff. I was in the neighborhood.” Lance crossed his arms over his chest, pouting.

“This is such a wonderful surprise!” Allura exclaimed, clasping her hands together under her chin. “We have so much to catch up on!”

“It looks as though [a lot’s been happening for you, too,]]” Shiro’s eyes flicked over to Krolia. “How’s life with the Blades?”

“Yeah, who’s your new buddy?” Lance leaned out around him to peer at her. With the Paladins and Coran clustering around him, Keith was suddenly acutely aware of her exclusion from the group. He glanced back at at her again, drawing his eyebrows together, but she seemed unbothered. He took a step back anyway, closing the distance between them.

“Everyone, this is Krolia.” He ducked his head down, letting his fringe fall to shield his eyes for a second’s pause before looking up once more. “She’s my mother.”

Shiro was the first to recover from the surprise. “I’m happy for you Keith.” He clapped Keith on the shoulder, smiling warmly. “I know this must mean a lot to you. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ma’am,” he said, turning to extend a hand to her. “I’m Shiro.”

“I’ve heard so much about you,” she replied as she returned the gesture. “About all of you.” She swept her gaze around the room, a small, mischievous grin playing at the corners of her lips.

Keith’s eyes widened as he racked his brain trying to think of all the possibly incriminating things he’d told her during their ‘getting to know you’ chats. He knew moms were supposed to embarrass their kids, but he hadn’t expected her to just dive right in.  _ I guess she’s making up for lost time? _ “Uh, so this is Princess Allura, and Coran,” he put in quickly, before Lance could get out the  _ “like what?” _ forming on his lips.

“It’s an honour!” Allura beamed.

“Well, I can certainly see where Keith gets his good looks!” Coran grinned, eyes twinkling. “Coran Hieronymus Wimbleton Smythe, Royal Advisor to the Crown of Altea, at your service!” He reached for her hand and, with a gallant bow, bent to kiss it. Keith felt a stab of panic, but willed himself to relax when Krolia didn’t recoil. In fact, she seemed in no hurry at all to pull her hand away.

“Hm,” she huffed, “are all Alteans so charming?”  _ That  _ caught Keith off guard.

“Oh, so when  _ Coran _ does it, it’s charming; but when  _ I _ do it, it’s ‘creepy’ and ‘inappropriate,’” Lance complained, throwing his hands up in the air.

_ “Lance.” _ Shiro sighed, rubbing the scar on the bridge of his nose.

“Dude, that was the ambassador’s wife—”

“—And that wasn’t her hand,” Pidge finished Hunk’s sentence with a snicker.

“How was I supposed to know?!”

“Wow, it really is like I never left,” Keith remarked with a smile, standing back as the conversation descended into predictable bickering.

“Sorry about that,” Shiro offered an apologetic grin. “Some first impression we’re making.”

“I don’t know about that; I’m finding this all very interesting.” Krolia cocked her head to the side and— _ was that a  _ wink??  _ At least she’s comfortable around my friends, I guess. _

“I hate to take you away from the reunion,” Allura piped up, breaking into his thoughts with a light touch on his arm, “but could I have a word? I promise not to keep you long.”

Keith blinked, surprised but curious. “Sure. If that’s alright, I mean,” he amended, with a quick look to Krolia.

“Don’t worry my boy, we’ll take care of her!” Coran reassured him, placing a companionable hand on Krolia’s shoulder.

“It’s fine,” she echoed, with a bemused grin down at Coran.

“She’ll be in good hands,” he added, giving his mustache a debonair twirl.

Allura led him to large, open chamber that might have been an observation deck, or possibly a disused conference room, with a large window looking out over the Olkari capital. Keith wasn’t sure if he’d seen it before—there were so many places like it aboard the ancient castleship that he couldn’t really keep track.

“So… what’s up?” He leaned against the wall beside the door, trying to look casual. His last one-on-one with the Princess had consisted of her scolding him for leaving Voltron in the lurch while he was off with the Blade of Marmora, so he wasn’t sure what to expect now.

“I wanted to thank you for what you did at the Kral Zera,” Allura began. “I know I was reluctant to have you stay with the Blade of Marmora, but if you hadn’t been there…” She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, a slight furrow between her eyebrows. “Well, things would be very different now.”

“Oh, uh—of course.” He decided against telling her that the Blades who’d been with him would have gladly left Shiro and Lotor to die to ensure the success of their mission. “I’m glad it worked out,” he said instead.

“I must admit I was quite cross with Shiro when I discovered he’d acted against the team’s decision and taken Lotor to Feyiv,” she sighed, “but having the Galran Emperor has been more advantageous than I’d ever dreamed!”

“Really?” Allura was the last person he’d have expected to gush about the Empire, alliance or not.

“Lotor has been helping me to follow in my father’s footsteps as an Altean Alchemist,” she explained, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “Things I’d thought were only folk tales, we’ve discovered to be quite real! I’ve unlocked secrets within myself I never imagined existed; and I couldn’t have done it without him.”

“That’s… that’s great, Princess.” Noticing the soft look in her eyes, he wondered if alchemy was all there was to it. “So, is Lotor here now?” he asked, half because he didn’t know what else to say; half out of genuine curiosity about his former enemy. There hadn’t been time for any sort of conversation at the Kral Zera, after all.

“No, I’m afraid not.” Allura shook her head, her eyes downcast. “He’s returned to Central Command to oversee the establishment of an alchemical research facility there. He’s promised all have all of the Empire’s resources at my disposal,” she beamed.

“Sounds like you two are really getting along.”

“I suppose you could say that.”

_ Definitely not just alchemy, then. _ “Why did you bring me here to tell me this, though?” He frowned, puzzled. ‘Thanks’ wasn’t exactly a private conversation. “Is there something else going on?”

“No… Well, not exactly,” she amended with a sigh. “It’s Lance. You know, in many ways he’s come so far, matured so much—”

“But?” He couldn’t help but smirk a bit.

“—but he has quite an unpleasant jealous streak.” The corners of her mouth pulled downward as her brows hitched together. “He always has something rude to say about Lotor. It started before we even began working together; and frankly I am rather tired of it,” she admitted. “I thought I might spare him the temptation.”

“Sounds kinda familiar.” He offered what he hoped was a sympathetic grin. “I’m sure he’ll come around, Princess. After all, he warmed up to me, and it only took, what, a decaphoeb or so?”

Allura stared at him in wide eyed mock horror for a tick before bursting into laughter. “I will continue to live in hope, then. Shall we rejoin the others?”

Back in the lounge, the party seemed to be in full swing. Lance and Pidge had set up their game console to play Killbot Phantasm, with Matt having arrived to join in as well.

“Don’t you ever get tired of this game?” Shiro was watching them with detached amusement. “You’re not banned from the Space Mall anymore; you could buy a different one, you know—oh, hey guys.”

“You’re just in time!” Hunk grinned as he made his way over with a tray of drinks. “Matt’s going to do a speedrun—”

“It’s going to be  _ epic! _ ” PIdge called out.

“—and I made milkshakes!”

Allura wrinkled up her nose, but Keith gratefully accepted a glass. “Sounds great. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He took a sip, enjoying the taste of home—before he realized that something was missing. “Where’s Krolia?” he asked, frowning.

“Oh, Coran was gonna show her around the castle,” Hunk shrugged. “They’ll probably be back soon.”

“I do hope so,” hummed Allura. She glanced toward the far door, a slight crinkle between her eyebrows.

It was sort of a weird thing to say—or maybe it was just the way that she said it, her tone somewhere between worried and ominous—but Keith brushed it aside for the time being. _It’s not like Coran is going to get lost…_ _She’s probably just distracted, still thinking about Lance and Lotor._ He tried to relax, losing himself for a while in bantering with his old teammates, enjoying the jokes and even the bickering. But when a varga had passed with no sign of his mother, he started to feel restless. The castle was big, sure, but it was mostly empty rooms; and as long-winded as Coran could be sometimes, Keith couldn’t imagine what was taking so long. Allura seemed unsettled too; she kept peeking over at the door when she thought he wasn’t looking, her lips pressed thin together.

After another half hour, impatience and worry got the best of him, and he pulled her aside. “Is there something going on that I should know about here?” His confusion was edged with irritation—clearly she knew something he didn’t.

Allura bit her lip nervously, then heaved a quiet sigh, her shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry Keith, I… I didn’t want to upset you, and I hoped that I was wrong”—she briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as though steeling herself—”but I think that Coran has taken quite a fancy to your mother.”

Keith frowned. “Isn’t that… a good thing?”

“What I mean to say is, well, he has a  _ type _ and—”

“A type of what?” He blinked, bewildered by the mortified look on her face. Slowly, the pieces came together. “Oh.  _ Oh. _ ” He stared down at the floor, his cheeks burning. “Oh my god. You think… You think Coran and my—and Krolia are… right now…” He shielded his eyes as though that could block out the mental image.

Allura’s smile was pained, her ears slightly drooped. “We  _ have _ been in space an awfully long time, and—”

“ _ Please stop talking,” _ he blurted out, far more loudly than he’d intended. To add to his horror, his shouting had caught the attention of the others, and everyone in the room was staring at him and Allura.

“Uh, everything okay over there?” ventured Hunk.

Keith wondered if there was any chance the floor might swallow him up. Instead, the door slid open, and Coran and Krolia walked in, arm in arm. Was it his imagination, or did her hair look messier than before? And was Coran’s normally immaculate uniform a little… rumpled? He felt sick to his stomach.  _ No. I am not thinking about this. I refuse. _

“How was the tour?” asked Shiro; either oblivious or doing a really good impression of it.

“It was very thorough,” Krolia replied with a tiny smile and a flick of her ear. Beside him, Allura coughed loudly into her hand. Matt and Pidge exchanged a knowing look, and Keith died a little inside.

“We’re heading up to the bridge now,” Coran announced cheerily. “Krolia’s got some insider insights on how to allocate the coalition’s resources, so she’s going to give my reports a good going-over!” Allura coughed again, this time sounding like she might be choking, but Coran didn’t seem to notice. “Don’t worry Number Four,” Coran called over his shoulder as he whisked Krolia off once more, “I’ll have her back before the szihelk crows!”

In the awkward silence that followed, Keith dropped down onto the couch opposite the Holts, dumbstruck and reeling.

“So… what just happened there?” Hunk spoke up, finally, glancing anxiously back and forth between Keith and the others.

“Keith just got a new stepdad is what happened,” chortled Lance, elbowing Pidge with a wide, suggestive grin; but Keith was too rattled to rise to the bait.

_ Okay. This is weird.  _ He rested his forehead in his hands, elbows on his knees.  _ But maybe it’s not  _ so _ weird,  _ he tried to tell himself. Would it really be so bad to have Krolia pulled into the little family aboard the castle? To let himself be drawn closer as well? Coran was pretty much the team’s surrogate parent already, so… Maybe it would be alright. As long as he didn’t think about it too hard.

And as long as he didn’t look at Lance making  _ that _ particular hand gesture.  
  



End file.
